Holiday Travel When a Senior Has Dementia

The holiday season is a busy time of year. It’s typically full of festive gatherings, shopping trips, and traveling to see family and friends. Family caregivers often wonder if a senior loved one can safely travel after being diagnosed with dementia. It’s a fair question to ask, but there’s no easy answer. Here are some things to consider, as well as a few planning tips if you decide to include a loved one with dementia in your trip.

Travel Concerns for Seniors With Dementia

When you’re making holiday plans, keep in mind what stage of dementia the senior is experiencing, as well as their needs and preferences. In the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease, traveling for the holidays may be easier. As the disease progresses, however, you may have to scale down on vacations or make plans further in advance to help make sure hitting the road is stress-free.

Some of the challenges that might make safety an issue include:

• History of wandering from home or attempting to wander
• Episodes of agitation that are triggered by a noisy environment
• Traveling with young children and a senior with dementia

For situations like these, finding a memory care respite program might be better than risking a senior’s safety. Your loved one can be a guest in an assisted living community that offers memory care while you enjoy a holiday getaway.

Tips for Traveling When a Loved One Has Dementia

Holiday travel requires more planning when your senior loved one has Alzheimer’s disease or a similar form of dementia. Whether you’re traveling by air or car to celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, or New Year’s, these tips will help you prepare:

• Pack the essentials: Prepare a bag for your loved one that includes medications, water, and a comfortable change of clothes. The Alzheimer’s Association recommends bringing photocopies of important documents, including:
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• Allow for extra time: Many aspects of holiday travel take longer when someone you love has a memory impairment. If you’re flying, give yourself lots of extra time to get through airport security. We all know that part of the journey is often one of the most frustrating. Also, try to avoid tight flight connections. Direct flights are best. If that’s not possible, give yourselves plenty of time to use the restroom and grab a snack before you head to your next gate. Car trips are often easier when you are traveling with someone who has dementia. You can leave space in your itinerary for frequent pit stops to rest, eat, and use the bathroom.
• Stay calm and flexible: Remember, whatever happens, try to remain calm and be flexible. If your holiday plans don’t go exactly as expected, don’t allow yourself to become upset. Your anger might trigger agitation in your loved one. That can be difficult to manage when someone has dementia.
• Work around the senior’s best times: Adults with dementia do best when their days are structured. While that usually isn’t possible when you are traveling or away from home, try as much as you can to preserve the person’s regular routine with regard to eating, sleeping, and activity. It’s also a good idea to work travel plans around the older adult’s best and worst times of day.

One final suggestion is to check with your loved one’s primary care physician if you have any doubts about their fitness for travel.

Invest in a Mobile Monitoring Unit

Traveling can be a challenge at any age, but especially for seniors with a chronic medical condition. If you don’t want to let your age or health slow you down, a mobile monitoring unit might be a good investment. Should you run into trouble, help can be summoned with an easy press of a button. Call 1-844-203-5617 to learn more!